Submit an event, attraction or venue for listing on these pages

The White Hat Melbourne Newsletter

Archived Newsletter No.173 - 19 May 2006

Contents

Feeling Latin
Buddha’s Day
Seven Bridge of Melbourne – No.1 – Princes Bridge
Jazz
Theatre
Reader feedback
Soccer
Book event
Evening market
Webcams
Classical music
Melbourne’s Hidden Gems
Walk the dog
From the White Hat Inbox
Country Victoria
The White Hat Quiz

Feeling Latin

If you are feeling Latin this weekend, you can check out the Flamenco music and dancing tonight (Friday) at BMW Edge. You can then head off to the Spanish Film Festival or take yourself to the Latin Dance Party on Saturday night. Details at Ethnic Festivals in Melbourne.

Buddha's Day

Sometimes while walking through Chinatown I find it disconcerting to find our chuckling Lord Mayor John So waving at me from every window. On closer inspection it usually turns out to be one those mechanical happy cats, but it is good to have a public figure who is so happy about his city. Buddha’s Day celebrations are usually cheerful affairs with lots of food and activities so why not chuckle your way down to Fed Square this weekend.

Seven Bridges of Melbourne

No.1 – Princes Bridge

We have decided that it is time to write a series on the structures that have shaped Melbourne’s character. Many would nominate the grand buildings of Collins Street but at White Hat we feel that bridges have been among the most important structures that have made Melbourne what it is today. So let us start with Princes Bridge.

Please note: This part of the newsletter can now be found at Seven Bridges of Melbourne.

Jazz

The Melbourne Jazz Fringe Festival continues. There is also a concert this weekend featuring a variety of styles and including the Don Burrows Stage Band. Details of both at Jazz in Melbourne. Then next Friday there is an interesting looking concert in the Surrey Music Café in Box Hill featuring jazz arrangements of favourite film scores. Details at Film Scores.

Theatre

Now that the Comm Games are out of the way it seems that we are in for a spate of theatre. Coming productions include Fiddler on the Roof, The Boy from Oz (arena production), Porgy & Bess and Swan Lake on Ice. There is also talk of Lawrence of Arabia on Ice but that may be a rumour. Details of forthcoming Theatre at Theatre in Melbourne.

Reader feedback

“The standard of the content in your newsletters continues to amaze and delight me. The latest one with the detailed info about buying meat/fish at markets at closing time for bargain prices is just one example of the great content you produce.
Greg”

“I am a weaver and subscribed to your newsletter to find out about upcoming craft fairs. At first I was mildly disappointed because I skimmed your newsletters and you rarely mentioned craft fairs. One lazy afternoon I read your newsletter in full and the next week I did the same. It was then that I realized that you are a fellow weaver. Each newsletter seems to have a warp and a woof. You usually have some thread running through the newsletter from beginning to end. Sometimes this is subtle but I think I have learned to pick it up. Then you have a woof that runs from previous newsletters on to future ones. Greetings from a fellow weaver. Now what about more info on craft markets!
Pete.”

Greetings Pete. Your feedback reminds me of the English folksong:

“I am a bachelor; I live with my son,
And I work at the weavers’ trade,
And the only, only thing that I ever did wrong
Was to woo a fair young maid,
I wooed her in the summertime and in the winter too,
And the only, only thing that I ever did wrong,
Was to keep her from the foggy, foggy dew.”

This is best heard in performances by Peter Pears and Benjamin Britten who, paid little attention to fair young maids because they batted for the other side. Which leads us directly to the soccer. (Was my warp straight Pete?)

Soccer

Australia plays Greece in ‘a friendly’ on Thursday night. Don’t expect to be able to drive along Lonsdale Street that night.

Book event

This week the author Alain de Botton, (author of Status Anxiety) will be speaking at the Town Hall about his latest work The Architecture of Happiness. Details at Forums in Melbourne.

Evening market

On Fridays in Frankston there is a newish twilight market. We haven’t checked it out so it might be just a few card tables in the local mall or it might be vibrant, lively and the spirit of all that is exciting about Frankston. If you head along, let us know what it’s like. Details at Twilight Markets in Melbourne.

Webcams

I know that this newsletter fulfils a function that is highly valued many of you on a Friday – work avoidance! However there are other ways to spirit yourself out of the workplace, particularly if you have broadband. During daylight hours, there is a webcam operating at Fed Square where you can watch people coming and going. Maybe you should rethink where you have that secret lunchtime tryst. The port authority also maintains webcams on the shipping lanes from The Heads through to the docks. You can while away hours following the shipping up the bay. Just make sure you have a spreadsheet at the handy in case anybody comes into your office.

Classical music

This week there are free concerts at the Iwaki Auditorium and the Melba Conservatorium in beautiful downtown Richmond. Opera Australia presents The Gondoliers, the MSO has several orchestral concerts, the Australian Pro Arte begins its chamber orchestra series at Fed Square and there is twilight chamber music at Rippon Lea. Details at Classical Music in Melbourne.

Melbourne's Hidden Gems

Some reflections underneath Princes Bridge.

Please note: This part of the newsletter can now be found at Seven Bridges of Melbourne - Reflections Underneath Princes Bridge

Walk the dog

This Sunday is the RSPCA Million Paws Walk so harness up the family mutt and head off to Albert Park. Details at Animal Festivals in Melbourne.

From the White Hat Inbox

FROM THE WHITE HAT INBOX

Musos wanted –

“I wondered if you could help to publicise a music tour to South Africa that I'm organising by placing the info on your website. We're currently looking for Australian musicians to apply for the two-week tour in which we will write and record a CD with a Zulu choir. The aim if to use music to unite across borders, languages and cultures and to produce a CD that communicates issues of the developing world with Australians. Olivia”

If any readers would like details of the project contact us and we will forward the full information.

We also received the following personal message:

“hi. crystal & i decided we are going to see victoria in the kombi. craig said wed be just like a couple of hippie chix so i set his ipod to shuffle cos for some reason that upsets him when he listens to his classical stuff. we set out in the mist early this morning and as we were crossing the river by the car yard i could just make out the names ruby and con on the sign & i got this eerie feeling that there was no going back.
love nat.”

Country Victoria

This weekend is the Harvest Festival at Beechworth and an alternative living festival at Peppergreen Farm in Bendigo. For details go to our home page and choose the appropriate weekend from the drop down menu of events in country Victoria.

The White Hat Quiz

How well do you know Melbourne?

First to the last quiz.

We received replies from Bronwyn, Barrie from Blair(gowrie), Debra, Leanne, Rowie, Jacinta, Alan, Bernard and Fred. Here is what David submitted.

Please note: This section of the newsletter has been removed as it forms part of a forthcoming publication or because it is forms part of our Questing activities. If you find yourself on a tour where the guide is White Hat Accredited they are likely to know the answer to many questions you may have in this area. All guides on White Hat Tours are White Hat Accredited.

Now to this week’s quiz.

Let us start with a supplementary question for the Apostrophe Mafia.

1. Place names traditionally don’t include apostrophes whereas certain structures do. Hence St Andrew’s Church would usually include an apostrophe but St Andrews Market would not (because it is held in the town of St Andrews). Should we therefore write about Prince’s Bridge or Princes Bridge?

There – that should keep them busy for ages while the rest of you, who have a life, can attend to the main quiz.

1. Opposite Princes Bridge is Y&J’s Hotel. What name does it have on its façade?
2. On one side of Princes Bridge is Flinders Street Station. What was the name of the station on the other side and why was it separate?
3. Explain the following statement – “Princes Bridge was controlled by The Skull”.
4. For most of their history, the Carlton Football Club had a home ground in which park?
5. What prince (or princes – now the AM have to decide where the apostrophe goes) was the bridge named after?

No prizes – just glory and a warm inner glow.